Contractor in Midwest offering huge bonus and pay to work for them?

After inquiring about open positions for fedex ground due to my unsatisfactory experience working for my current ground contractor I got an offer from a contractor in the midwest (I'm currently west coast) who offered to pay a $6k bonus and $1k/week to help with the large demand of december. Apparently they are extremely hard pressed for drivers out there which I can only assume is due to the much smaller populations, my question is what's the catch?

I explained my current work environment to this contractor, badly maintained vehicles, low pay, and a sickening turnover rate, they were quite surprised to hear it's like that out here. I can't help but be skeptical and to be honest have a distrust for fedex as a company just by seeing their business philosophy first hand.

Does this sound too good to be true? Am I going to have to get what they're offering on paper to ensure it's a legitimate thing? As far as I can tell they only expect employment through december and after that it's up to me whether I want to stay or not. I'm not particularly optimistic about going so far from home for work as I have some responsibilities here but if it's only a month I could likely work around that.
 

UpstateNYUPSer(Ret)

Well-Known Member
You need to list the pros and cons before committing to such a move.

I personally wouldn't do it. Trying learn a new delivery area during Peak while staying in a hotel and eating out for nearly every meal would quickly eat away at that bonus.
 

Star B

White Lightening
Well... the catch could be that it's super rural (million miles) and challenging due to weather.

Rural customers order online so that they don't have to go to the city during the crappy part of the year.
 

It will be fine

Well-Known Member
When is he planning on paying that bonus? How many stops does he expect you to do daily? If he has that kind of cash to throw around why can't he find anyone local to do the job?
Doesn't add up to me. I would never offer a sign on bonus to a driver I didn't already know and certainly not one that big.
 

FedGT

Well-Known Member
If there is any way this is real that contractor would have to be a new guy failing like crazy and about to lose his routes. There is no way that 1 single route paying a driver can generate anywhere close to $10k a month in net revenue. I would gladly "fail" for 1 month being short a driver than give away the profits of 3-4 months on that single route.
 
You'd have to update your CDAS and new drivers license to reflect a local address. Bonus would be taxed hard and even if it were on the up and up, you'd lose a ton on expenses. Since you are not 1099, you would be stuck paying for the hotel and food and submitting an expense report to the company for expenses incurred. If they were willing to pay for lodging, and give you a daily meal per diem, you may take a smaller less hard taxed bonus and keep the 1k a week.

It all sounds off. The only reason a contractor would lose money on a route during peak is if they failed last peak or FDX is hard on them and they think their contract is in danger. Either way, if they offered 6 and 1, they are willing to pony up for an extended stay too.

Good luck. Sounds like more trouble than it's worth.
 

bacha29

Well-Known Member
After inquiring about open positions for fedex ground due to my unsatisfactory experience working for my current ground contractor I got an offer from a contractor in the midwest (I'm currently west coast) who offered to pay a $6k bonus and $1k/week to help with the large demand of december. Apparently they are extremely hard pressed for drivers out there which I can only assume is due to the much smaller populations, my question is what's the catch?

I explained my current work environment to this contractor, badly maintained vehicles, low pay, and a sickening turnover rate, they were quite surprised to hear it's like that out here. I can't help but be skeptical and to be honest have a distrust for fedex as a company just by seeing their business philosophy first hand.

Does this sound too good to be true? Am I going to have to get what they're offering on paper to ensure it's a legitimate thing? As far as I can tell they only expect employment through december and after that it's up to me whether I want to stay or not. I'm not particularly optimistic about going so far from home for work as I have some responsibilities here but if it's only a month I could likely work around that.
The level of desperation is not surprising but he's giving you everything the route makes and more. I too would say it is highly suspicious. As the others have said this sounds like some guy who bought these routes and thought that he could get somebody to work for nothing. I agree with the others. Find out how many routes he has total how long he's been a contractor how many miles and how many stops you will be expected to do. It's a contractor problem that requires a contractor solution. No question another line of work all together is this best thing for you going forward.
 
Show me the $$$ in my hot little fist.

I suppose this would be an important thing to emphasize in such an offer.

You need to list the pros and cons before committing to such a move.

I personally wouldn't do it. Trying learn a new delivery area during Peak while staying in a hotel and eating out for nearly every meal would quickly eat away at that bonus.

Yeah I really haven't considered all the different things required for such a move, looks like Minnesota would be icy driving conditions which would be a challenge I've got little experience in, cost of living would certainly take a chunk out of my paycheck which I didn't consider either.

Well... the catch could be that it's super rural (million miles) and challenging due to weather.

Rural customers order online so that they don't have to go to the city during the crappy part of the year.

It passed my mind that it snows out there and I'm sure driving a p-1000 in that would be a blast. Customers wanting to avoid such bad conditions should be alerting for a delivery driver.

When is he planning on paying that bonus? How many stops does he expect you to do daily? If he has that kind of cash to throw around why can't he find anyone local to do the job?
Doesn't add up to me. I would never offer a sign on bonus to a driver I didn't already know and certainly not one that big.

Those are some critical questions I need to ask him which I didn't think of at the time, I'll make sure to do that. Yeah some of the stuff sounds too good to be true to be honest, maybe it's a way just to reel me in only for me to find out later that there was some fine print saying otherwise.
 
The level of desperation is not surprising but he's giving you everything the route makes and more. I too would say it is highly suspicious. As the others have said this sounds like some guy who bought these routes and thought that he could get somebody to work for nothing. I agree with the others. Find out how many routes he has total how long he's been a contractor how many miles and how many stops you will be expected to do. It's a contractor problem that requires a contractor solution. No question another line of work all together is this best thing for you going forward.

I see so there's a standard revenue generated amongst fedex ground contractors even in such a rural area so he'd be giving me all of it which doesn't add up? Those are some solid questions that I'll be sure to ask.

Run fast....the other way!
If it sounds too good to be true...

Sounds like this is the general consensus.
 

bacha29

Well-Known Member
Driving a P1000 or similar vehicle in a Minnesota rural are in winter might explain why the guy's so desperate. So be sure to ask what kind of environment you'll be working in and what kind of equipment you'll be using.Sounds like you'll need a Quigley or a deuce and a half. If it's a step van then let's put it this way. You say STOP it says.....When? You say TURN, it says....... Does it matter which direction?
 

Exec32

Well-Known Member
When is he planning on paying that bonus? How many stops does he expect you to do daily? If he has that kind of cash to throw around why can't he find anyone local to do the job?
Doesn't add up to me. I would never offer a sign on bonus to a driver I didn't already know and certainly not one that big.
He would be better off splitting the route and renting another vehicle. Use the 6K, it would cost less.
Hire two people give them attainable goals or stops, split the map, it would cover more area and stops for the same money or less.
Seems like he probably wants to put on a WHOLE LOT OF MESS on one driver, it never works. It's easier to hire 2 average or below average couriers, than one exceptional one.
 

OrioN

double tap o da horn dooshbag
Run fast....the other way!
If it sounds too good to be true...

Hey, wb OP! Glad u are still alive from driving that diesel-bong of a step van.

I'd turn it down if it's ground, HD maybe... But I need to see the map overviews first and projected daily miles. Every route is different.

My current rural route is always 130-200 miles with a fluctuating stop count of 50-120, depending on how much crap I can shoe-horn into my package car...
 

Brisket

Well-Known Member
Hey, wb OP! Glad u are still alive from driving that diesel-bong of a step van.

I'd turn it down if it's ground, HD maybe... But I need to see the map overviews first and projected daily miles. Every route is different.

My current rural route is always 130-200 miles with a fluctuating stop count of 50-120, depending on how much crap I can shoe-horn into my package car...

Huh? I'm not the OP.
 

dmac1

Well-Known Member
You need to list the pros and cons before committing to such a move.

I personally wouldn't do it. Trying learn a new delivery area during Peak while staying in a hotel and eating out for nearly every meal would quickly eat away at that bonus.


I think the bonus would be given because of the driver's extra expenses over and above food. Asking for living expenses on top of a huge bonus that is given just for the expenses seems greedy.
It sounds fair, unless the bonus is contingent on number of stops, no problems, etc. Whether or not it is rural shouldn't make a difference as long as you are getting paid by the week, and not working more than 50 hours per week, absolute max.
 
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